Traditional craft
Yame Fukushima Butsudan
八女福島仏壇
Hand-made gold household Buddhist altars from Yame in Fukuoka, where altar making in Kyushu began, built in more than 80 steps.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 30 March 1977
- Type
- Buddhist altars
- Region
- Kyushu & Okinawa
- Official name in Japanese
- 八女福島仏壇
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 八女市、久留米市、筑後市、みやま市、八女郡広川町
Gold, made by hand
Yame Fukushima altars use the same materials as before the Edo period and are almost entirely hand-made, gilded all over. Yame is a town of crafts, also known for lanterns, stone lanterns and hand-made washi. It is made in Yame, Kurume, Chikugo, Miyama and Hirokawa in Fukuoka.
More than 80 steps
- Carving, metal fittings, lacquer and maki-e are each their own craft.
- Final assembly brings them together.
- There are more than 80 steps in all, nearly all by hand except some of the woodworking.
A carpenter's dream
The story goes that in the mid-Edo period a joiner dreamed one night of a splendid temple, and asked his fellow craftsmen to help him make Buddhist altars. The technique was established a little later, around 1850, and became the origin of altar making in Kyushu. By the end of the Edo period Yame had 18 finishers, 14 fitting makers, 7 carvers, 7 Buddhist sculptors and 10 body makers. Each September, karakuri puppets perform at Google Maps 福島八幡宮 八女 (opens in a new tab) on a three-level stage built with altar makers' skills, lacquer and nail-free joinery.
Good to know
- Visit in September for the karakuri puppet show at Fukushima Hachimangu.
- Yame's lanterns and hand-made washi are worth seeing too.
Questions travellers ask
Where did altar making in Kyushu begin?
In Yame, Fukuoka, around 1850.
How many steps does a Yame altar take?
More than 80, nearly all by hand.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Local foods from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.